Traveling contact for elevators.



S. S. WILLIAMSON & B. WILSON.

TRAVELING CONTACT FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED 1130.31, 1901.

Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

. A jmeiyfoni ,Bambr' e Zgdaon (Z9 Jamae 15. 20112282010011 Z0. frwzonZgaZZzkz/wam COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C01, WASHINGTON. u, c.

TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL S. WILLIAMSON AND BAINBRIIDGE WILSON, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYL-VANIA; SAID WILLIAMSON ASSIGNOR TO SAID WILSON.

TRAVELING CONTACT FOR ELEVATORS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SAMUEL S. VVIL- LIAMSON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and BAINBRIDGE lVILsoN, a subject of the King of Great Britain,both residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inTraveling Contacts for Elevators, of which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a travelingcontact for elevators, and has for its object to provide a simple andeffective system of this description wherein the conductors will bestationary but the elevator will be always 1n electrical connection withsaid conductors by the use of contacts traveling with the elevator.

A further object of our invention is to so construct these travelingcontacts that they may be easily and quickly attached or detached fromthe conductors.

With these ends in view this invention consists in the details ofconstruction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and thenspecifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this inventionappertains may understand how to make and use the same, the constructionand operation will now be described in detail, referring to theaccompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in whichFigure l is a diagrammatical view showing the method of wiring; Fig. 2,is a perspective view of one of the contacts showing the conducting wireand elevator in dotted lines; Fig. 3, a perspective view of the contactend of the two members of the contact separated; Fig. 4c, a modificationof a traveling contact in which carbons are used; Fig. 5, a section onthe line 55 of 1 Fig. 4; Fig. 6, a modified form of contact similar tothe contact shown in Figs. 2 and 3,but having contact springs attachedthereto; Fig. 7, a perspective view of the two members of Fig. 6separated.

In the drawings A represents conducting wires, each of which are inpermanent electrical contact with one contact point of clifferentpush-buttons B, the other contactpoint of the push-buttons is inelectrical contact with the common return or battery Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed December 31, 1901.

Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

Serial No. 87,932.

wire 0. Each of the wires A are always connected with one terminal ofthe electromagnet in the annunciator D of the elevator by means oftraveling contacts carried by the elevator, and the other terminal ofeach of the magnets of the annunciator is always in contact with thewire C, also by means of a traveling contact carried by the elevator.

E represents a battery, or other source of electricity, interposed in awire C; the wires A and wire C are strung vertically in theelevator-shaft from the top to the bottom thereof and are only securedat each end. The traveling contacts entirely surround the wire so thatthey cannot become displaced therefrom.

It will be seen by the diagram that when a push-button B is pressed acircuit will be formed from one terminal of the battery through thepush-button, then through one of the wires A connected to the actuatedpush-button through the traveling contact traveling upon that certainwire, through the predetermined magnet of the annunciator, therebyactuating the mechanism to indicate the number, then to the wire G bymeans of a traveling contact to the opposite pole of the battery.

Experiments have been made whereby trolley wheels carried by theelevator have been held in spring contact with vertical conductors forthe purpose of connect-ing said conductors with the annunciator in thecar, but all such experiments have proven that trolley wheels areimpractical because of the fact that they are very liable to bedisplaced from the conductor by the swaying of the car, but the chiefdisadvantage is the noise created by said wheels traveling upon theconductors. In our invention by stringing wires from the top to thebottom of the elevator-shaft we are enabled to provide travelingcontacts carried by the ele vator which will entirely surround the wire,thus preventing the same from being ever disengaged from the contact,and by forming the hole in the traveling contact, through which the wirepasses, of somewhat larger diameter than the diameter of the wire we areenabled to do away with the objectionable noise above referred to, andit has been found by experiment that the hole in the traveling contactthrough which the wire passes can be made considerably larger indiameter than the diameter of the wire without interfering with theelectrical connection between the wire and the traveling contact becauseof the fact that the wire stretched from the top to bottom of the shaftwill not be perfectly stationary and will never be out of contact withthe surrounding traveling contact for a sufiicient length of time toprevent the ringing of the annunciator bell, in fact it would be almostan impossibility, even while the car is stationary, to so set and holdthe wire by hand that it would be in the center of the hole and out ofcontact with the traveling contact even if the hole was twice thediameter of the wire.

For the purpose of providing for the easy attaching and removal of thetraveling contacts from the wires, we prefer to construct these contactsin two parts, the form shown in Figs. 2 and 3 consisting of the strips Fand G, which are made exactly alike with notches or slots H formed inone end, and when applied to the wire they are placed so that thenotches or slots II will extend in opposite directions to one another,so that one notch or slot will open to one side and that of theother'strip will open to the other side, but will leave a circular holeor opening through the end of the contact strips through which the wiremay pass. These strips F and G are then secured to the car preferably byscrews so as to be easily removed, the wires are connected to each ofthe traveling contacts and carried into the car to the annunciator. Ofcourse this system could be used to convey the electricity to the carfor the purpose of illuminating the same if desired, and when so used anextra wire would be supplied and a traveling contact connected with saidwire which would be in connection with one terminal of the lamp, and theother terminal of the lamp would be in electrical connection throughanother traveling contact with another additional wire, and these twoaciditional wires would be each connected with one brush of a dynamo. Ofcourse the contacts in working upon the electric light wires would haveto be in positive contact with such wires at all times.

In Figs. 4 and 5 we have shown a modification of a traveling contactwhich might be used in place of the contact shown in Figs. 2 and 3, butwould preferably be used only upon the electric light wires where apositive contact was desired. This consists of an arm composed of twomembers I and J secured to the car and extending out therefrom, andthese two members I and J are adapted to be secured together by a screwK. The members I and J have each semi-circular cutaway portions formedin the same so that when they are secured together an opening L will beformed through which the wire passes; in the member J is secured acarbon M which projects outward into the opening L and is adapted tocontact the wire upon one side. N is another carbon adapted to slidewithin an opening formed in the member I, and behind this carbon isplaced a spring 0 which is inter posed between said carbon, and ascrewthreaded plug P threaded into the opening so that the carbon N willbe held in spring contact with the wire upon the opposite side from thecarbon M, and the tension of the contact can be regulated by the screwI. The contact faces of the carbons are slightly coneaved so as toprevent the wire from escaping from between the same.

In Figs. 6 and 7 we have shown another modified form of positive contactwhich consists of two strips Q and R arranged one above the other,similar to the strips F and G of Figs. 2 and 3, and these strips alsohave notches or slots S formed therein so that. when the two strips areplaced together a circular opening will be formed through the end of thearm composed of the two strips. To each of the members Q and R aresecured the springs T which contact the wire upon opposite sides and actas brushes to conduct the electricity from the wire to the strips. Inall. three forms of the traveling contacts here shown and described itwill be seen that it is only necessary to separate the two memberscomposing each of the traveling contacts, when said traveling contactscan be easily attached or detached from the wire.

Of course we do not wish to be limited to the exact construction hereshown, as slight modifications could be made without departing from thespirit of our invention.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new anduseful, is-

1. In combination with a conductor, a traveling contact having aperforation through which the conductor passes, means normally overlyingthe plane of the edge of the opening for engaging the conductor.

2. A traveling contact comprising coacting members having oppositelyopposed recesses to receive a conductor and means normally overlying theplane of the edges of the recesses for engaging the conductor.

3. In combination with a conductor, a

cesses to receive a conductor and yieldable means normally overlying theplane of the edges of the recesses for engaging the conductor.

6. In combination with a conductor, a contact device adapted to travelwith relation to the conductor, said contact device having meansconfining it against movement with relation to the conductor in adirection at right angles to the length of the conductor and twocontacting and yielding means extending from the contact device toengage the conductor.

7. In combination with a conductor, a traveling contact device normallysurrounding that portion of the conductor engaged by the contact device,and resilient means connecting with the conductor and carried by thecontact device.

8. In combination with a conductor, a traveling contact device providedwith confining walls normally surrounding the conductor at the point ofcontact and yielding means on the contact device extending approximatelyat right angles to the length of the conductor to engage the conductor.

- 9. In combination, a conductor, a traveling contact having an openingthrough which the conductor passes and means yieldably extending fromthe contact beyond the plane of the edge of the opening to engage theconductor.

10. In combination with a conductor, a traveling contact having a recessthrough which the conductor passes the contact having a guard forpreventing displacement of the conductor with relation to the contact.

11. In combination with an elevator, an electric conductor, a guide onthe elevator comprising two superposed notched plates in which thenotches coincide for receiving the conductor, and a spring contactmember on each plate between which the conductor has slidable contact,for the purpose described and shown.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto aflixecl our signatures in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL S. WILLIAMSON. BAINBRIDGE WILSON. Witnesses H. B. HALLooK, L. IN.MORRISON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

